


undying devotion

by eternalwind



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Ambiguous Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Developing Relationship, F/M, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Other, POV Second Person, Patch 5.0: Shadowbringers Spoilers, Post-Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-23
Updated: 2019-07-23
Packaged: 2020-07-12 00:04:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19936783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eternalwind/pseuds/eternalwind
Summary: Why else would he be willing to give his life for someone he hasn't seen for two hundred years?





	undying devotion

**Author's Note:**

> this exarch train has no brakes and i'm in for the long ride

He _probably_ thinks you don't notice, but you do. Oh, you do. 

You notice in the way his allagan eyes stare at you when he thinks you're not looking, taking you in as you simply give a situation report about Lakeland to Lyna.

It's in the way his tone softens when he says your name ( _"blessedly, like it's a prayer"_ you murmur to him one night, and G'raha has the good graces to turn like a blood tomato). In the way he leans closer at every opportunity he can, such as when you lower your voice to a whisper around the Crystalline Mean as you two take a stroll and you catch the whiff of his familiar scent, fresh and lovely and _his_. In the way his ears twitch lightly when you address him, and then perk up when you say, as softly as he would say your own name: _"G'raha."_

It's in the way his tail flicks and brushes against your arm and back when you two sit down together and you can tell he's holding back from leaning towards you even further, almost to the point of becoming an _actual cat_ and sit on your lap. You're willing to bet there would be some kind of purring involved, should you indulge him.

It's in the way he smiles widely when you open the door to your chambers to greet him, finding him with his usual tray of your favorite sandwiches, and somehow his grin grows wider as you scarf it down because _"these are heavenly, G'raha."_ and he shrugs, looking away: _"all food tastes delicious when there's some love involved."_

It's in the way he speaks to the people of the Crystarium that gather around to ask more stories about you, stealing glances, smiling as your name slips past his lips and laughs when you roll your eyes at some exaggeration worthy of the Wandering Minstrel back in the Source. Because no, Titan did _not_ turn into any sort of four-wheeled mount to try and run you over as you avoided him _most heroically_. Though the rocky bastard did like his landslides.

It's in the way he shifts, rubbing his arms when he catches you looking at him, because he's such a _beautiful_ sight even with the crystal growing in his body and you can't help it. Sometimes the crystal reflects the light onto the walls, making it a striking and multi-colored sight to behold. You want to tell him, but without his hood to hide his face he's grown to act more shy around you sometimes despite being almost cheeky, in a G'raha-esque way, some others. Perhaps he's not used to the teasing, and you're _perfectly fine_ exploiting that.

It's _there_ , as blinding as the sky when you first arrived in this world, unable to miss and almost choking and scary in its intensity.

His undying, unmatched _devotion_ for you.

It had already been there in the way he ran to meet you when you arrived to the First. When he'd _kneeled_ and almost begged you to help save the First because you would also _unknowingly_ save yourself. When he'd made sure you had everything during the first days at the Crystarium and the Exarch himself made you food and snuck it in your room from time to time. When he'd checked on you through the Ocular whenever you left, off to slay another Lightwarden and told himself it was _all so he could save you_ _and the future_ , even if it inflicted you pain as the cursed, searing and burning light ran through your veins.

When he'd asked you that _"you_ _survive this, no matter what",_ and for the first time since you became the Warrior, you'd felt like this man was asking for it for your own sake, and not the whole world's.

It had been there, open and raw and _pained_ when he'd told you of his wish about traveling with his "friend" when the two of you had talked in Kholusia and you, despite your suspicions about him, hadn't seen it, not back then.

Not until he had tried to die for your sake, not until his lips trembled as you screamed his name when his hood fell off and realization hit you stronger than any Primal- _he's going to die, he's going to die for me– please no– not like this, not like this, G'raha, G'raha–!_

_"G'raha! Please don't!"_

And the man had looked at you as though he didn't care he was going to disappear; called you his _inspiration_ and you could've sworn all the Light in the blasted shard could not match the intensity of his devotion at that very moment, when he had been ready to _die_ to save you.

Because for you, he'd waited two hundred years. He had endured the news of you, his old friend he'd looked up to, being dead when he'd woken up in the Tower and then took the burden of two worlds and a whole future upon his shoulders. He'd bitten back tears when your tales ran from camp to camp, Heavensward book going hand to hand and you became _alive_ again, if only for just a moment, and all he'd wanted was to lock himself back again and wake up with you waiting for him to explore the Crystal Tower all over again, with the whole Ironworks team on tow.

Now, safe and sound and in the darkness of your quarters, you look at him and see that he doesn't regret it, that _"the pain and the wait were worth it",_ he says when talking about his lonely years, and you almost want to throttle him were you two not holding each other with his warm skin against yours. Almost.

You can tell he knows what you're thinking and finds your internal struggle amusing, if the twitching of his ears and swishing of his tail under the sheets you two share is anything to go by. That and the silly grin he's wearing. And the soft purring he probably doesn't notice he's doing.

You think, lightly amused and growing relaxed by the rumbling noise, that G'raha had definitely needed the cowl to hide himself, because now he's doing an awful job at hiding his emotions most of the time when he's with you. Not that you're complaining. His feelings are overwhelming, intense and raw and full of warmth, but you drink from them like a parched man would drink water in the Thanalan desert. You're used to being idolized by the people back in the Source, but this? This is different.

_"Why me?"_ you ask, seeing his gaze softening, tail wrapping around one of your legs and his hold on you growing tighter as if you could disappear at any moment.

_"Because it's you,"_ he simply says, and you frown. He grins again, but there's no trace of teasing, only open happiness that takes your breath away and you find yourself wanting more of it. _"It's always been you, the one I love."_

As G'raha leans towards you, more than willing to show you how much he adores you, you can't help but think that the only thing able to surpass his undying devotion, is the love he holds for you.

And you feel it is as much as the love you hold for him.

**Author's Note:**

> i needed hugs and a bit of sugar but also suffer a little so here you go (thanks to my friend for indulging me when yelling about the Exarch -and yelling back- and giving us the [cute](https://twitter.com/hagurumayu/status/1151027638527561734?s=19) [Exarch](https://twitter.com/hagurumayu/status/1149375773138182144?s=19) [content](https://twitter.com/hagurumayu/status/1148535835811340289?s=19) [we need](https://twitter.com/hagurumayu/status/1148169249791324160?s=19))
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